5 Maker Tools Worth Having on Your Bench

The most common reason a small project or repair stops is a screw you don’t have a driver for: a tiny Torx in a game controller, a Pentalobe on a phone, a Tri-wing on a console. A precision bit kit covers those in one box, so you can open the thing instead of ordering a single driver and waiting.

The handle has a swivel top, which lets you spin the driver with one finger while you press down with your palm. The case lid holds the screws as you take them out, which is half of putting something back together.

Pro tip Put the screws on the lid tray in the same pattern they came out of the device. Different lengths in the wrong holes is how boards and screens get damaged.

A utility knife is great for boxes and drywall, but it’s too big for detail work. A precision knife holds like a pen, so you can follow a line, cut a tight curve, or shave a little plastic off the edge of a 3D print without gouging the part.

The Z-Series is the classic #1 X-ACTO handle with a coated #11 blade. Nothing fancy, and that’s the point: replacement blades are easy to find, so there’s no reason to keep cutting with a dull one.

Pro tip Make several light passes instead of one hard one, and always cut away from the hand that holds the part. A fresh blade needs much less pressure, which is also what makes it safer.

Hot glue is the maker’s fastest fastener. It holds a prototype together while you decide if the idea works, tacks a wire in place inside an enclosure, or fixes a craft project in seconds. The frustration usually comes from the gun: too hot and foam melts, too cool and the glue doesn’t stick.

This Gorilla gun has two settings for exactly that. Low heat is for foam, fabric and other delicate stuff, high heat is for wood, plastic and metal. The long insulated nozzle helps put a small bead exactly where you want it.

Pro tip Glue on smooth plastic or metal lets go easily. Scuff the surface with sandpaper first and the bond holds much better. To remove hot glue later, a few drops of isopropyl alcohol around the edge usually pop it off.

A lot of maker work happens at the limit of what your eyes can see comfortably: small solder pads, tiny screws, painting details on a model. A magnifier lamp puts light and magnification in the same spot, so you can keep both hands on the work instead of holding a magnifying glass.

The 2.25× lens keeps things in focus at about 8 inches, which leaves enough room under the lens for a soldering iron or a brush. The swing arm folds the lamp out of the way when you don’t need it.

Pro tip Don’t let direct sunlight hit the lens while the lamp sits by a window. Like any magnifier, it can focus sunlight into a hot spot. Swing it away or flip the cover down when you’re done.

Every maker ends up with the same box: M3 screws mixed with nuts, resistors, spare nozzles and that one connector you need right now. Finding a part takes longer than the job itself. A small-parts cabinet fixes that by giving every kind of part its own drawer.

The 10144 has 36 small drawers for screws and components and 8 large ones for bigger stuff. The included dividers let you split a drawer further, and the cabinet can hang on the wall above the bench to save desk space.

Pro tip Label the drawers right away, even with masking tape and a marker. A cabinet with unlabeled drawers turns back into the same mixed box within a month.